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Orion history
200px|right|Emblem of the Orion Colonies (FASA). This page details the history of the Orion people, which extends back tens of thousands of years, as well as that of the Orion Congeries/Colonies. By sheer volume of data, Orion historical records were a staggering historical resource, comprising a wide sampling of media, from music to murals to computer disks. However, there was surprisingly little actual hard data, only a lack of objectivity, rampant falsification, and lazy scholarship. Orion historians, painters, poets, musicians, novelists and sculptors concentrated on presenting the viewpoints of their patrons, whether they were a family, a world or a business. Military and business victories were magnified, as were those of their enemies, while defeats were minimized or ignored. The accounts of the defeated were often destroyed to avoid contradiction with those of the victors. Other histories were sanitized or designed to attack their enemies. Some events were more myth and legend than history. ( ) The dirty little secrets of Orion history were swept under the rug, if not totally erased. A case in point was the Dispossession of the Grey Orions, which saw the deliberate and widespread purge of all history that related to them, including the Dispossession itself. ( ) The records themselves were difficult to obtain without sufficient bribery of the appropriate officials, and often needed to be studied under trying circumstances. ( ) The more secret or truer knowledge was harder to find, relying on lucky discoveries of full and accurate records, intact archaeology, or a long and tedious compilation of pieces of knowledge from a wide range of sources. ( ) However, as Orion history came from so many sources, balanced chronicles could still be constructed, albeit with many holes in the chronology. ( ) Through the Guardian of Forever on the Time Planet, a research team consisting of Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, and Lieutenant Ted Erickson of Starfleet, and historians Grey and Loom Aleek-Om, visited the dawn of Orion civilization in 2269. ( ) A primitive Orion cave-drawing on Rigel VIII (Botchok) depicted a spaceship landing on the plains, with bulky suited aliens emerging to capture and carry away the stick-figure natives. ( ) Studies of ruins in the Rigel system were inconclusive on the issue of Orion history and origins. Some believed that the famous ruins on Rigel VII were actually Debrune sites (and tied into the Vulcanoid Rigelians), while others held that they represented primordial Orion culture. ( ) Doctor Roger Korby's translations of Orion medical databases recovered from Orion ruins revolutionized immunization techniques, and became standard reading for xenobiologists and archaeologists, and at Starfleet Academy. ( , , ) :There are several contradictory accounts of Orion history, with the most complete versions presented in the FASA and Last Unicorn/Decipher RPGs, and other components appearing in various Novel sources. These are presented in separate sections below for clarity, and merged only in the 21st century and beyond. FASA History The Rise Of The Orions Millennia of tumultuous history have erased nearly all traces of Orion pre-history, though ancient copies of ancient works reference a lost work, The Origin Of People by the pre-Atom War historian Nowat, who supposedly had access to other lost manuscripts that discussed the possibility that the Orions were planted on Botchok (Rigel VIII) by aliens. The clues are old and unreliable, and the same age includes myth and legend about the Orion gods. Only the Rigellian records hold the truth, and they are kept secret. Around 998 000 BCE (reference stardate -10,000/00), the Masters seeded Rigel VIII with life, new and promising forms intended to evolve over a million years or so into an intelligent species capable of space-flight and revering the long-dead Masters as gods. ( ) :This species may have become Orions. The time-scale is approximately correct, with Orions appearing 980 000 years later. However, their later appearance was a surprise, with no sign of sentient life previously detected. Around 38,000 BCE (reference stardate -400/00), the s came to trade at Rigel, though this fact was known only to the Rigellians, with no clue otherwise. Later speculation posited that they were responsible for placing Orions on Botchok, who appeared at the time that the Preservers disappeared. The first known record of the Orion species dates to around 18,000 BCE (stardate -200/00). The Rigellian Trade Authority had been active since at least 98,000 BCE, but no sentient life had ever been recorded on Rigel VIII, a planet that had been settled by races such as the Yugai and the Sugg. The primitive Orions - wielding no more than clubs and stones and barely into their Neolithic Age - attacked a Yugai colony, first bringing them to the notice of the many races frequenting the Rigel system. The commander of the Yugai contingent repulsed the attack easily with his people's superior technology, destroyed the attackers' village, and forgot about them. The alien races that settled Botchok soon came to appreciate the value of the Orions as slaves. The Orions, though traditionally warriors, easily took to agricultural tasks. They were considered difficult to capture alive and to "tame", but once broken, the Orion slaves were quite useful. Over time, the primitive tribes of Orions came to accept slavery. Some tribes would capture other Orions to trade with the settlers, and on occasion, Orions would even offer themselves into slavery. The value of Orion slaves was such that the Sugg soon began to export them offworld. On 15th July 17,273 BCE (stardate -192/7307.15), a Glath starship captain named Muark Tan brought to the Rigellians of Rigel VI evidence of the sentient humanoid life on Rigel VIII, including photographs, tools, weapons, clothing and three live specimens. It was already too late to undo the interference, and Orion slaves were already valuable on the open market. Other races soon began to raid Botchok for slaves, preferring to take them from settlements, rather than "the wild", so that they would already be accustomed to slavery. The Sugg armed their slaves with slugthrowers and other low-tech weapons, considering them their own best defense against raiders - the Orion slaves would fight to prevent themselves from being torn away from their families and homes. Over time, the arming of the Orions escalated, and soon the aliens were using Orions as slavers to capture other Orions. By 16,000 BCE (stardate -180/00), the Orion slave trade was well-established. ( ) Beginning of the Orion Era By around 15,900 BCE, Orions were growing so well-armed that the local races foresaw a time when Orion barbarians would overrun all of space. As a result, the Orion-using races convened on the planet Kammzdast and on 15,956 BCE (stardate -179/56), they signed the Treaty of Kammzdast. (Modern historians consider this date the beginning of the Orion Era.) This document placed a number of restrictions on the use of Orion slaves: technology given to them was regulated, they could not carry weapons outside of the Rigel system, and they were only permitted to engage in combat on the "unsettled" Rigel worlds (which included Botchok itself). Though this was of great benefit to the signatory races - local space was kept in a relatively peaceful state for over ten thousand years - Botchok was now a battlefield for the masters of the Orions. In actuality, however, proxy warfare on Botchok was not as common as had been intended, as disputants often did not have adjacent holdings on the planet. The Rigellians signed the treaty to preserve peace, but never traded in Orions, which inspired reverential awe in them. The Orion people revolted against the stipulation of disarmament, on Botchok and elsewhere. Because few of the slave-holding races had the capacity for continuous policing of their slaves, they began educating their slaves so that they could be used in less militaristic capacities. The 1st Rigel Conference met in 15,839 BCE (stardate -178/39) to implement these relaxed restrictions in the Treaty of Kammzdast. Successive Conferences over the millennia would gather to adjust the Treaty and deal with the Orions. They, and the Treaty of Kammzdast, would outlast all of the original signing races, even as new races arose to be signatories to it. Alterations to the Treaty were always tiny and grudging, without ever relinquishing any actual power to the Orions. The number of revolts decreased slowly over time, but the alien schools gave the Orions new perspectives on life, as they learned the cultural values and weaknesses of their conquerors, and a hope to be independent of their masters slowly began to arise. Some of these educated Orions revolted, but their lack of knowledge of government and diplomacy meant that most of these revolts were short-lived. Realizing that they would have to be more than barbarians before they could gain their freedom, the Orions ceased their attempts at revolution. With the peace brought to the Rigel system by the Treaty of Kammzdast, the slave-owning races were now more likely to settle, even on Botchok itself. The Orions were divided up into territories and nations, and the settlers even built cities for their slaves, so as to facilitate the industries of educating the slaves; the Orions were also easier to keep under control in a civilized, urban setting. The Orions were now taught to respect and obey their masters from the moments they were born. However, as their level of education increased, so did their yearning for freedom. The aliens that enslaved the Orions had created a hierarchy of the three Orion subraces, with Ruddy Orions on top and acting as overseers and intermediaries, the Grey Orions slightly below and handling the technical work, and the Green Orions at the bottom performing manual labour and fighting their proxy wars. This pattern would continue through much of Orion history. ( ) The Atom War, the Long Winter and the First Stage Over time, the Orions came to be quite civilized, and as a result of their servitude, their masters granted them a good amount of whatever it was they required. The 21st Rigel Conference, held in 12,327 BCE (stardate -143/27), went so far as to grant the Orions nuclear technology. The Orions had learned from millennia of peace negotiations that the threat of nuclear war was an excellent deterrent, and by constructing nuclear weapons of their own, they claimed that they could reduce or even eliminate warfare on Botchok. But in 12,237 BCE (stardate -142/37), when the Orions completed their nuclear weapons, it turned out that they had a different purpose in mind: they ordered their masters to depart the Rigel system or be destroyed. After a secret meeting, their masters responded by detonating their own nuclear weapons, reasoning that they could do without Botchok for a generation. The brief event became known as the Atom War; it was followed by the Long Winter, which lasted twenty years. During this time, 80% of the Orions on Botchok died. It was another twenty-eight years before the 22nd Rigel Conference allowed the resettlement of Botchok. During the First Stage, offworld Orions, free from radiation damage and other defects, were taken back to their ancestral homeworld to repopulate the planet and to repair the damage. Their accounts were compiled in the Book of Tears, in which Orions vowed to never allow themselves to be held at the whim of an alien power ever again. To do so, they continued the plan that had been in effect before the Atom War: quiet, faithful service as they worked to diminish their reputation as barbarians. Denied technological education, they were determined to develop their own, steal it or do without. In 10,529 BCE (stardate -125/29), so-called ‘working groups’ of Grey Orion slaves were quietly taken from Botchok to other planets to act as skilled labour, in violation of the Treaty of Kammzdast that governed the use of Orion slaves. Despite this, their use became widespread in less than a thousand years afterwards. Three thousand years after the Atom War, the fifty-eight cultures that ruled Botchok were warring more than usual, causing increased damage to the planet, though they were unwilling to put aside their differences to make repairs. At a minor talk during a truce, Orion representatives from the twelve largest Botchok nations announced that the planet's ecology was critically damaged, having never fully recovered from the Long Winter, and that it would fail completely in another thousand years. The Orions volunteered to make repairs with their own labor, cost and technology. In 9143 BCE (stardate -111/43), the Accord of Namazz (later appended to the 59th Rigel Conference) granted them this right. This was the first public responsibility allowed the Orions, and their first taste of self-rule. The First Stage was concluded in 7730 BC (stardate -97/30), causing the offworld powers to re-institute proxy warfare on Botchok. ( ) The Era of Good Feeling On 9050 BCE, the Rigellians detained a Grey Orion named Talduk Sik, who was part of a technical ‘working group’ about to leave the Rigel system. They kept him for a few days, in which he was carefully studied and interviewed. This was the first Orion that they the Rigellians examined, and they began to feel forebodings about them. The Grey Orions found it to be a mystical experience, and to the modern day some continued to think of the Rigellians as their Makers. In March, 8486 BCE (stardate -104/8603), the Orions on Sharu secretly diverted industrial resources for their own purposes, producing textiles, jewellery and calculators. Though small and unimportant, this marked the first moment of Orion economic self-supply on an alien world. After this, around 8000 BCE (stardate -100/00), the Orions began to smuggle technology back to Botchok and the colonies. They also began to function as unofficial crews aboard alien starships around this time, beginning in 8191 BCE (stardate -101/91) with Grey Orion navigators and computer operators, and Ruddy Orion crewmen following nearly a century later. In less than five centuries, Orions served on most alien starships with a reputation for reliability. (The first official mention of Orion crews, however, would not come until 3587 BCE (stardate -55/87) - on an insurance claim.) The prospect of Orions being allowed to have warp drives frightened some of the master races, and the issue was debated at the 42nd Rigel Conference, but the move to ban Orion use of warp drive was vetoed by races who believed that it would be too restraining on future trade. In September 7901 BCE (stardate -99/0109), the Orion Alliance was formed in secret on Botchok. By word of mouth, they declared that every Colony and every Orion had to master alien technologies for the ultimate aim of liberating Botchok and abolishing the Treaty of Kammzdast. The Bema revolt erupted in October 7822 BCE (stardate -98/2210), when over 50,000 Orions protested their working conditions and evolved into a demand for liberation of all Orions and their homeworld. In an attempt to stop the revolt, Julin Hyrax the Brave volunteered his 3000 Grey Orions to the Magistrate of Bema, who refused in his distrust. Regardless, Julin led his unarmed force against the rebels, and demanded their surrender. Only 22 survived the slaughter. For a time, Julin was revered as a martyr to a better future, and the Kammzdast signatories considered the act to be a positive change in Orion behaviour. This would be the last revolt for 5700 years, and the period of 7825 BCE to 1508 BCE (stardates -98/25 to -35/08) was called the Era of Good Feeling, in which the Orions built a reputation for themselves as loyal, honest and trustworthy – a total lie. Meanwhile, Orions gained the right to own their own enclaves and businesses and to (officially) serve on alien starships. A report from 5450 BCE (stardate -74/50) indicates that, at that time, Orions were in service to 32 different races, and their colonies were present on 79 separate planets. Orion influence in their own affairs continued to grow: an Orion delegation was permitted to attend the 113th Rigel Conference in July 4712 BCE (stardate -67/1207), where the Orions proposed rules for the proxy war system that would ensure lower casualties without compromising their masters' authority. In 2351 BCE (stardate -43/51), Orion forces were used for offworld combat at the Battle of Lomatin IV, and though the involved master races were censured under Kammzdast, the practice would nevertheless continue discreetly. ( ) The Orion Dawn In 1508 BCE (reference stardate -35/0811), the event that became known as the Orion Dawn legend took place: two Orion spacers named Ombrey and Maark, who served as senior officers on a Buban freighter, organized an operation where they captured two trading vessels that they dubbed the Revenge and the Fate. hey were aided by the silence of the Rigellians, who knew everything. Unable to return to Botchok, these Orions took the ships to the Rigel BC system, where they established bases on the planets Avali and Ugoan. They began to capture other ships to add to their fleet, gaining 200 merchant vessels in less than fifty years. This was the birth of Orion piracy. Botchok and the Orion Colonies covertly supported the pirates in their efforts to make star travel available, but they were able to maintain appearances with their master races. The facade of proper behavior was convincing enough that in 1317 BCE (stardate -33/17), the Orions were permitted to launch vessels that they built and crewed entirely themselves, as long as they were unarmed merchant craft, from shipyards on Bema, Nilor, and Sharu. Around this time, thanks to Rigellian influence, the Orions also became involved in the Trade Halls of Rigel IV. After only a few decades, they were present in almost every Hall on the planet, and in two centuries, they made up the majority of the Rigellian Trade Authority's clerical workforce. The master races permitted this because of the increased riches it brought them - but not everyone was pleased with the growing Orion independence. In 891 BCE (stardate -28/9104), the 144th Rigel Conference deadlocked on the issue of Orion piracy, so the Orions pledged to police the Rigel system and support interstellar law enforcement, which was accepted with little debate. Following this, an anti-Orion pogrom was bloodily put down. Meanwhile, a secret emergency meeting of the Orion Alliance was split over the issue of piracy: the Gradualists (who proposed a gradual transition towards independence) felt that it hurt their cause independence, while the Militarists (who thought the Gradualist view impossible) claimed that a strong space force was vital. Around 700 BCE, the Nine Worlds Confederation was formed, a conglomeration of the nine most powerful races operating near the Rigel system. The Nine Worlds believed that the Orions had been allowed to stretch the terms of the Treaty of Kammzdast too far, and they began enforcing them strictly. The Orions and Rigellians complained that efficiency had been severely reduced by the number of required inspections, but the opposition was faint, as the Nine Worlds were entirely within their legal rights. The Nine Worlds were especially concerned about Botchok's complicity in the supposed renegade pirate movement, especially after the Taunpymi Incident of 111 BCE (stardate -21/1105). Riots against Orions became increasingly common over time. ( ) The Orion War & Independence Having had success in curtailing Orion freedoms so far, the Nine Worlds called the 187th Rigel Conference on 14th July 95 BCE (stardate -20/9507.14), where they issued what became known as the Ultimatum of the Nine Worlds, a list of prohibitions that restricted Orions from participating in any commercial activities in or out of the Rigel system. The Orions, however, had known what was coming, and as soon as the resolution was announced, someone (history does not record who) cut off the Conference's link to the outside world. Minutes later, Orion troops seized all ships orbiting Rigel IV. All Orions knew that this was the time to act; their own legends indicate that it was the result of centuries of planning, but in actuality, their actions were spontaneous and unrehearsed (their propaganda also claimed that the Nine Worlds had acted in reckless haste, which was also untrue). An Orion delegation arrived at the Conference (the first to which they had not been invited since the 113th), lead by the previously unknown Nallin Oplate, who presented a counter-ultimatum: all Orions should be granted their freedom or there would be war on all of the Nine Worlds. While the delegates at the Conference conferred, Nallin returned to Botchok with a contingent of rhadamanen from the Rigel Trade Halls and informed his people of the revolt. Within a month (stardate -20/9508), the Orions had seized control of the planet and imprisoned their former overseers. With diplomacy, Nallin bound the divided nation-states together and created the Botchok Planetary Congress (BPC) to govern the newly independent world. Proxy warfare on Botchok was finally ended, and the troops began to ready to defend the planet. The Recall of the Pirates was issued to provide the planet with a space fleet. Half of the Orion pirates had arrived at Rigel by the time a Nine Worlds fleet arrived on 3rd January 94 BCE (stardate -20/9401.03), presumably to investigate the silence from the Rigel Conference. The Battle of Botchok, which was just barely a victory for the Orions, became the opening conflict of the Orion War. True to Nallin's words, rebellion erupted on the Nine Worlds, and Orions everywhere risked their lives to sabotage and distract the enemy war effort. The war lasted for thirty-seven years, as the signatories to the Treaty of Kammzdast refused to surrender the valuable resource of Orion labor. But it came to an end in December 57 BCE (stardate -20/5712) with the Battle of Rhinate, when the Nine Worlds and the other Kammzdast signatories sued for peace. Of 58 participants, the Orions had defeated only 13 in open warfare. Immediately following the cease-fire, on February 13th, 56 BCE (stardate -20/5602.13), Nallin issued the Declaration of Nallin, which declared Botchok a free world and denied the power of the Treaty of Kammzdast. It made all Orions free citizens, protected by the Botchok Planetary Congress. It also declared that the Orions would have no enemies and hold no grudges, for they wished to resume all of their pre-war trade relations. It would not be as easy as that, however, for the Orions had made enemies all across local space. ( ) The New Days A few years before the Orion War ended, the Botchok Planetary Congress debated the social organisation that they would adopt afterwards, and finally compiled and published the Codex Orion in April 61 BCE (stardate -20/6104), a compendium of the laws of their society. This heralded the Era of Lawbringing, wherein the rights of slaves were guaranteed, the behaviour of their owners was regulated, and Orion society was structured with the aim of lasting forever. Green Orion slaves remained as the hard-working bedrock of Orion society, in service to the two races of the Ruddy Orions and the Grey Orions, who could contract to each other, but were considered equal and never subservient to the other. This system would develop into complicated and many-varied forms. After the Declaration of Nallin came the New Days, a time of cultural and spiritual regeneration for the newly freed Orion people. At this time, there were 21.35 billion Orions on 135 planets. It would not be an easy start however, for nearly 40 years of warfare had exhausted local space of everything bar animosity for Orions. Most cultures, including the Nine Worlds, found treating them as equals as loathsome, and took steps to embargo trade with them. The peace was filled with suspicion, and few dared admit how much their societies had relied on the Orions. Even where they were accepted, Orions were employed only in the worst jobs and unseen locations. The post-war period was filled with suspicion. The BPC chose to avoid the embargo by conducting trade as inconspicuously as possible, hiring alien ships to quietly trade for them while Orion ships and crews visited only their own communities. Though equally impoverished by the war, they rebuilt with hard work, trade with what they had and underhanded dealings with their neighbours. Few wanted to appear worse-off than the Orions, so trade soon resumed as it had before the war. Modern Orion slavery began here, as Orion rhadamanen hired out Orion dubyaln, or 'contract-labourers', just as before the war. In 20 years, no visible trace of the war remained; in 50, there were only bitter memories and a much richer interstellar society. The newly free and enriched Orion Colonies underwent an explosion of art and culture in every form, as their old folk traditions blossomed. A thousand-year-long golden age developed, which Orion culture of later centuries hearkened back to. They were determined to enjoy the fruits of their millennia of hard work, with luxury and wealth. Excess wealth and self-indulgence took its toll on the Nine Worlds and other worlds, until they became dependent on the Orion economy and finally absorbed into their culture. A few races withered away completely, and others were swallowed whole, living as if they were Orions and always had been. (A few of these races are the non-Green/Ruddy/Grey Orion races.) Orions proliferated and dominated on the worlds nearest Botchok. ( ) Expansion For more than a century after the Orion War, the Orion Colonies had been preoccupied with recovery and preparation for the future. Only pirates and traders operated in the Outer Dark, largely as uncivilized adventurers; most Orions stayed close to home to seek wealth. It was only when population pressure increased that they began to develop new colonies in unknown areas of space. The first new colony since the war (Nallin founded one a few years after it ended) was established at Zonvan in the Outer Dark, in October of 626 CE (stardate -14/2310). Not every colonization effort was successful, and not every world wanted a permanent Orion Colony in their midst. Pirates rode ahead of the wave, making things difficult for those following behind. It was only by the permission of their hosts that communities of Orions lived among alien populations many times their size, and existing Colonies had markedly better standards of living. The original Colonies carefully studied their intended sites for maximum survivability and sent out rhadamanen with the necessary funds to begin development. Colonial expansion was slow, and an existing Colony might mount an effort every two or three generations, longer if the last one had failed. But in time new ventures would be launched at the rate of one per year, and many worlds were colonized, abandoned, and re-colonized — some as many as 18 times. This period, of a cultural golden age and colonial expansion, was not without problems however; a growing strength in the outer regions of Orion space had coincided with a weakening centralized government. In May 879 CE (stardate 12/7905), the Gaetano Region declared its independence from Botchok, triggering a war with the BPC. After hiring additional ships from the Anor, Guipin and Sark Regions, a lack of funds forced an end to combat. No formal peace was ever made, and taxes arriving at Botchok trickled to a halt. Before 867 CE (stardate -12/67), all 15 of the outermost regions had effectively seceded from the BPC, which became increasingly chaotic while social conditions worsened across Orion space. As the Orions spread across space and became more diverse, occasionally Colonies appeared which were inhabited solely by Ruddies and Greens, or Greys and Greens, or entirely of one race, with not a single member of the others. Social differences increased, as each sub-race wondered why they needed the other. While Ruddy/Grey cooperation had driven the growth of Orion civilisation, their racial friction drove its collapse. Meanwhile, low-class Greens grew restless, seeing their labour make the other races wealthy and powerful. The social differences became more marked. By July 1037 CE (stardate -10/3707), Orion space was at its greatest extent, a full 150 parsecs in radius, fully half the distance from Rigel to Earth. By this time, 57.3 billion Orions lived on at least 972 planets, with a greater density close to Rigel and decreasing towards the Outer Dark. A colony was established at Talna III, only 31 parsecs from Earth. At least one Orion explorer ventured as far as Earth and Tellar, though leaving no trace but his ship's log. ( ) The Reverse Eventually the wave of colonial expansion slowed, halted and even began to contract, in a period known as The Reverse. The wealth and luxury made sponsors in Rigel increasingly discontented and covetous, and reluctant to fund extravagant expeditions. Minor disputes over tariffs and trade agreements escalated to full-scale corporate warfare, even near Rigel. After paying taxes to Rigel and getting little back in exchange, some Colonies formally broke off relations with Botchok and declared their independence, beginning with Gaetano in 879 CE. These rebellions had little real effect however, as the links between the Orion worlds depended on trade, which continued despite the political disturbances. Only a few nostalgic idealists begrudged this loss, but they were in the most powerful positions of authority. Meanwhile, civil disorder began to spread from the lower classes to the middle classes. With their vast holdings, Orion governments became ponderous and ineffective, while local leaders were complacent or indifferent. Small uprisings grew to disrupt worldwide order. The technocratic Greys responded with cautious analysis, social theories and technological solutions. The arrogant Ruddies reacted with brutal repression. Each was generally ineffective, but while the civilisation that enabled Grey Orion society collapsed, the Ruddies were better able to survive. The Botchok Planetary Congress was unable to restore order or political power with harsh laws and military threat, and the ineffectiveness of these measures further weakened their authority. Finally, seeking more power and advocating extreme force to end the Colony disputes, several powerful families on Botchok successfully revolted and on March 21st, 1003 CE (stardate -10/0303.21), BPC President Boyor Ignatin assumed dictatorial powers, jailed his opponents and reorganised Orion government. Within a year he was crowned Emperor Boyor I, called Boyor the Righteous, and he issued his Demand for Unity to all the rebellious or seceded Colonies. Dispatching the Orion Space Navy to bring these worlds back under control, this triggered the Fringe Wars. A total failure, this only wasted lives and resources and disrupted trade at the heart of Orion space, while filtering arms to the poor and otherwise powerless and ultimately accelerating the disintegration of Orion society. The Fringe Wars also saw many Grey Orion ruling families on the most distant planets wiped out, beginning the Dispossession of the Greys. Boyor was assassinated in October 1062 CE (stardate -10/6210), and clan warfare and rioting spread to destroy the rest of his family line. The fearful BPC named Renat the Old as the next Emperor, but succession struggles continued for another 16 years. On March 7th, 1132 CE (stardate -9/5404.30), he created the Orion Provincial Senate, but most Colonies refused to send delegates. It lasted for only five sparse sessions. Renat died on April 30th, 1154 CE (stardate -9/3203.07), and his nephew Arnet the Thoughtful took the throne. He implemented reforms conceived by Renat. However, a civil war at Votannis resulted in a massacre of over 40 million people, including 23.1 million Orions and the genocide of the native Trunes. These were the darkest days of the Reverse. :There appears to be an error in the chronology, in that Renat died and the massacre occurred in 1132 (reference stardate -9/3203.07) yet Renat created the Senate in 1154 (reference stardate -9/5404.30). This article reverses these dates for clarity. The dates still imply reign times of over a century, however, and life spans even longer. Meanwhile, the Dispossession of the Grey Orions continued. A pattern emerged, wherein ruling Greys faced with revolution turned to Ruddy forces, either local or imported mercenaries, to solve their problems, by functioning as administrators, police and military forces - who then occupied Grey holdings in the name of 'military necessity' and 'temporary measures'. In time, they outright seized whatever they liked without excuses, and panicking Greys on stable worlds closer to Rigel sold off their possessions (businesses, lands and slaves) and fled, saving local Ruddies the effort. Eventually, Grey Orions ceased to own any significant property or wield any power, and they were generally despised and blamed as the cause of the Reverse, even in places where they had not ruled, and even some Greys believed it. Massacres were numerous, and entire planetary populations of Grey Orions were slain in brutal purges, leaving 90% of all Grey Orions dead, the rest in hiding or as refugees. In May 1220 CE (stardate -8/205), the BPC and Colonial representatives (all Ruddy Orions) met on Kammzdast in a special meeting to discuss the Grey Orion question, aiming to eliminate possible threat from them, now and in the future. They officially revised the Codex Orion to remove all mention of the Greys, and authorised the destruction of all historical material related to them, and banned all current and later mention of them as anything but technically skilled slaves. Even the Greys themselves were somehow 'cleansed' of offending material. In time, Orion history was erased or re-written to forget the Grey Orions, bar what books that memorised and kept alive via an oral history. This was the last act of the Dispossession. The remaining Grey Orions survived the massacres by pleading for their lives and making themselves useful for their technical knowledge – and were held hostage and forced to work for a promise of freedom, or were permanently enslaved outright, and some lucky few were sheltered by sympathetic Ruddy Orions. These slaves circulated as spoils of war and pirate raid, purchase and trade. Arnet abdicated on March 17th, 1288 CE (stardate -8/8803.17). This was part of his plan to restore the old Orion way of life, but he disappeared before nightfall and his family was rounded up and killed. The BPC restored order on Botchok and thereafter ignored the Colonies. This was the time of the Three Emperors, and formed the peak of the three century long Reverse. These turbulent times destroyed Orion wealth and made expansion too costly and prone to failure. The furthest Colonies were beset by pirates and shunned by peaceable alien races, and could not maintain their former volume of trade. Colonies were abandoned more often than they were replaced or re-established, and others ceased to trade and left behind in the Outer Dark to manage on their own. The usually detailed Orion records all but disappeared, and only vague second-hand accounts survived. After the pride and arrogance of the Three Emperors, a chastened BPC quietly shifted its focus from government to accounting. To restore economic order, the BPC created the Orion Registry, a census that listed all remaining Colonies together with their population, trade preferences and other useful business statistics and data. Compiling the first Registry was a major task that took several lives, but it proved useful and met with universal acceptance. The first issue, published in January 1301 CE (stardate -7/0101) (thereafter semi-regular at roughly ten-year intervals), showed a population of only 31.05 billion and falling on 507 worlds. With order restored, the decline slowed. The year 1715 CE (stardate -3/15) finally saw a halt to the decline as the Orion population stabilized at 20.315 billion on 213 worlds. This heralded a brief century of cultural rebirth, with renewed interest in colonization, re-occupying lost and abandoned Colonies. ( ) A use was also found for the Grey Orion slaves, to restore the stagnant Orion technology, and they began to spread once more. Fearing the Greys again, Ruddy Orion masters spent the next 150 years trying various methods of maintaining control, to keep them powerless but still useful. Imprisonment was not enough, and drug addiction reduced Grey skills and made the Ruddies dependent on their suppliers. Finally they decided upon genetic mutilation, a affliction of random weakness, deformities and handicaps that made them utterly dependent on their owners and only marginally less useful. It was permanent, incurable and cheap. To prevent the Greys from ever undoing the damage, a great deal of Orion medical knowledge was purged, leaving Orion medicine behind that of other races, and resulting in additional suffering for the other Orions. ( ) By the late 16th century ("500 years or so" prior to the 2280s), the Orions returned to copying and forging the starship designs of other races. These imitations were useful to pirates, who could operate disguised as a freighter or explorer. This practice would continue on to the late 23rd century. ( ) However, as Orion space had contracted in the Reverse, pirate numbers had increased, and the loss of order and trade had made them bold and desperate. The Registry had been equally valuable to them, as it showed prime targets to strike and places to avoid. Larger bands formed, to the scale of pirate fleets, and instead of lone ships, they began to raid entire Orion Colonies. The puny Colony defense forces could not guard every world. This culminated in the devastating sacking of the Tellun system, led by the notorious Orion pirate Half-a-Man Sooris, beginning on 19th February, 1894 CE (stardate -2/9402.19), and lasting for weeks. His was the largest pirate fleet in history, outnumbering the Colony defenders, and many crews mutinied to return and defend their homes. The Orion Colony on Troyius, once one of their most productive worlds, was temporarily abandoned, and over 2.5 million people died, including 1.5 million Orions. Even after the pirates withdrew, the fear remained and the decline of Orion space resumed. Finally, the 73rd Edition of the Orion Registry, published on September 8th 1916 CE (stardate -1/1609.08), reported the stabilisation of the contraction of Orion space. Now only 12.7 billion Orions survived on only 64 worlds, less than it was during the New Days, and most were only 20 parsecs from Rigel. Although many worlds had high Orion populations, only those closest to Rigel remained loosely federated and acknowledging the BPC, and trade and travel through Rigel was on the wane. Those worlds beyond 20 parsecs, in the Outer Dark and no longer in contact with Botchok, were not included in the Registry. They had been lost, forgotten and left to fend for themselves. ( ) :''From this point on, the reference stardate system used by FASA grows increasingly out of step with canonical and commonly-accepted histories presented in later sources, sometimes falling behind by 50-100 years, or advancing ahead. Previous dates above are also doubtful, but are unsupported by other sources. From this point on, the dates are left in the reference stardate system to avoid confusion and placed near related events in chronological order. Last Unicorn / Decipher History Though Orions claim Rigel VII (Kolar) as their homeworld, the planet cannot have existed in the Rigel system long enough for Orions to have evolved there. It is more likely that the s or some other ancient culture "seeded" them there. ( , ) Civilization began in the Enala river valley on the continent of Evanaroi around 220,000 BC, but industrial development took off later in the Kotay Archipelago, with a shortage of labor and and an excess of tidal and water power. According to tradition, spacecraft launched from the island of Rohay around 203,000 BC, even while much of the rest of Rigel VII was still developing gunpowder rocketry. Settling the Rigel system was slow, given the immense distances, but Orion colonies wound up on most of the Rigel system's planets. Orion astronauts studying the Rigel XIII superstring developed the warp drive around a thousand years later, and Orions poured out into the Galaxy just as the Iconian civilization was falling. ( ) Large-scale space exploration took off around 200,000 years ago, ( ) and Orions became some of the interstellar travelers in their part of the galaxy. ( ) Following a lengthy period of piracy, colonization and interstellar squabbling, Rigel VII and the Orion colonies were united in the Thakolarivaj, the "Great Orion Empire", under Nispavan I, the first Emperor Of All Space, in 200,993 BC. ( ) This empire was quite extensive, and was centred on the Rigel system. ( ) The First Empire lasted almost sixty thousand years, during which Orions perfected technologies such as sentient androids, planet-remolding generators, stellar power taps, transwarp drives and subspace engineering of all kinds. It also conducted extremely dangerous experiments on Rigel XVI (Yagthar) that left knots of chaotic space all along its surface and orbital path. Palaces were constructed on Rigel II (Mokalar) 40,000 years ago when First Empire Orions settled, which still draw power from the star Rigel A via an advanced subspace energy tap. ( ) Many artefacts of this time remained beyond the understanding of Federation science in the 23rd century. ( ) The First Empire of Thakolarivaj was ultimately destroyed by an unknown species employing robotic planet-killing craft from another galaxy. ( , ) Approximately 35,000 years ago, the Second Orion Empire was caught up in a lengthy conflict with the First Federation. Both states began interfering with the progress of developing planets. ( ) The Fourth Empire extended the Thakolarivaj further than the First, well into the Alpha Quadrant, but increasingly the Orions saw conquest as unprofitable and found more potential and success in mercantile pursuits and piracy. As the Emperors became more degenerate, the ''caju'', or merchant clans, became the dominant powers in the Empire. Around 30,000 years ago, the Fourth Empire hastily abandoned a terraforming project on Rigel VIII (Tavar). It also founded Kohlor Station on Rigel X (Kohlor), on the site of an earlier Orion research facility, and installed a defense grid. ( ) An Orion Empire dominated most of the Orion Arm around 23,000 years ago. Archaeologists labeled it the Curved Rodinium Culture, but disagreed on whether this was the Seventh or the Eighth Orion Empire. ( ) The Eighth Empire saw Orion scientific progress become essentially static. ( ) The Twelfth Orion Empire expanded into the Alpha Quadrant 8000 years ago. The oldest surviving caju could trace their lineage to this era. ( ) The Twelfth Empire fell in 5200 BCE, the caju decided that galactic conquest could be left to lesser species. They gave up on overt rule and settle settled into amuse themselves and get rich however they could. With profit as the only social goal, Orion scientific progress finally dwindled away to nothing. As Orions with drive and prospects married into a caj and left for the interstellar marketplace, the homeworld slid backwards. The caju however developed a trading network even larger than their greatest empire (presumably the Fourth). In 1529 CE, the Vegan Tyranny attacked and invaded Rigel VII, blasting away the last remnants of global technology and causing the world to fall into barbarism. The increasingly bankrupt and harassed Vegans retreated two centuries later, but Rigel VII had barely recovered by the 24th century. ( ) The Orions and the Tholians had their first recorded encounter in 1925 CE. Later, in 1934, an Orion scout ship made first contact with the Andorian colonists on Cimera III. This relationship would end abruptly in 1951 when the Orions failed to return. By 1960, the Orions was launching raids into the collapsing Vegan Tyranny, creating hazards for interstellar travel and communication through the region for the next eighty years. ( ) Other Histories :This section lists various other disconnected pieces of Orion history. These may or may not fit into either of the above or with eachother The Dawn of Orion Civilization Through the Guardian of Forever on the Time Planet, a research team consisting of Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, and Lieutenant Ted Erickson of Starfleet, and historians Grey and Loom Aleek-Om, visited the dawn of Orion civilization in 2269. ( ) They visited the ancient and barbaric early Empire of Orion (also called the Orionic Empire), though no-one knew what the clothing of the era was and Starfleet uniform and 23rd century Federation casual dress was expected to be conspicuous. Gold was the only currency. Kirk expected the trip to be fun and adventurous, and found it to be a whirlwind of colors, sights and sounds, as they explored the period for 2.5 days in local time. Their last visit was to a low-quality inn in a bazaar, near an auction of Orion slave girls. ( ) The Dyson Spheres Early in Orion history, Orion pirates sometimes destroyed whole inhabited planets simply because they weren't economically viable. They would then use the fragments to construct Dyson spheres and then populate the vast area with slave labor. ( ) Against The Inshai Compact The Orion Congeries are suspected of placing an (alleged) sunkiller bomb in the star Sigma-1014 Orionis, causing it go nova and destroy the hearthworld of the Inshai Compact, which had been their rivals in trade and resisted their expansionist aims. The light from this nova would reach Vulcan and be seen as the da'Nikhirch, heralding the birth of Surak. :The places the birth of Surak in 279 CE, while the places it [[Thousands of years ago|''circa 67 BCE]]. Subtracting the distance in light-years between (the fictional) Sigma-1014 Orionis and 40 Eridani (Vulcan's sun) from either of these dates would give the true date of this event. Both novels imply forty-five years or less.'' This destruction quickly lead to the collapse of the Inshai Compact, along with its great power and restraining influence. The Orion Congeries swept in to begin their long-desired piracy, and war, famine, plague and economic and social collapse swept the Compact worlds. Meanwhile, decentralized interstellar corporations of the Compact seized power, armed with planetcracker weapons, fighting over trade routes and sources of raw materials, blackmailing worlds into submission and destroying those who didn't. Formerly peaceful Compact worlds, like Etosha, and depopulated ones, like Duthul, fell into this kind of piracy to survive. These worlds and corporations degenerated into the guilds and companies that were the direct ancestors of modern Orion pirates. ( , ) :In both sources, it is said that the Orion pirates evolved out of the Inshai Compact, but also that it was the Orion Congeries that attacked the Compact in the first place. Thus it is not clear what species were in the Orion Congeries, or if the Etoshans, the Duthulhiv and others were themselves Orions or some other race. They may be some of the non-Green Orion races seen in some sources. Forty-five years after the da'Nikhirch, Duthulhiv pirates established communication with Vulcan, offering peaceful trade and cultural exchange, with a meeting to take place at Shikahr. This was a trap, and the pirates attacked and captured the gathered leaders of Vulcan to hold for ransom. The exorbitant ransoms were not paid, and the Vulcans drove out the alien invaders in a great war known as the Ahkh. The Vulcans would later shoot down or capture Etoshan pirate ships and learn from them their science, technology and star-maps. ( , ) :The dates the Shikahr meeting to January 18-19, 22 BCE. Against The Karsid Empire In 1873 CE, the Karsid Empire initiated an infiltration and take-over attempt of Earth, by contacting the United States of America under President Grant. This was resisted by Congressman Aaron Stemple, and the plans delayed to 1877. In the interim, revolts began in the Orion systems and turned into a full-scale revolution. This affected Karsid outpost stations and shelved their plans for invading Earth, and contributed to the Karsid Empire's downfall. ( ) Modern History 21st century On reference stardate 0/1402.21, the Orions made first contact with a terrifying new alien threat – the Romulans. An Orion pirate stumbled across a Romulan fleet destroying the entire Farx Colony, and fled under fire and spread the word. An evacuation of eleven worlds in the immediate vicinity of Romulan space was undertaken; two worlds were assaulted with heavy loss of life, while the rest got away on colony ships. The refugees told of bird-like vessels that butchered colonies and scorched whole planets, while the attackers never responded to any communication or offer of ransom. The Romulans rampaged in this area for a few years, until poor resources convinced them to go elsewhere, while a great scare went through every Orion world. By the end of the 21st century, the Orions had long been a civilization of the decline, falling into decadence and social breakdown. At this time, the Orions lived on a number of planets in the Orion sector, making a living as criminals on the fringes of other societies. The alliance that would eventually become the Federation first made contact with them at this time. ( ) :This appears to contradict the 2154 first contact seen in the }}. However, Arik Soong had contact with the Orion Syndicate as early as 2134, and other members of the Coalition of Planets may have made this first contact, such as the Tellarites in the . In 2073, Andorian scientists finally made contact with their lost colony on Cimera III, and through them learned of the Orions. ( ) 22nd century During the 2130s, the Human Arik Soong made contact with the Orion Syndicate and established a relationship with them to trade for goods and equipment for him and his Augments. ( ) On stardate 0/7907, the Orions learned of another growing interstellar power. An Orion Colony vessel patrolling the Outer Dark rescued a lost and dilapidated Tellarite trading vessel commanded by Garggash Dlumppheg. The Tellarite’s stubborn refusal to identify himself, let alone trade, angered the Orion commander, who dragged him to Botchok for the BPC to deal with. Five months later, Dlumppheg left with an exclusive trade agreement with the BPC, and promptly sold franchises to the biggest corporations on Tellar, Andor, Vulcan and Alpha Centauri VII. ( ) This date marked a first contact with the Orion Colonies of the Rigel system. ( ) The Human trade vessel Marco Polo visited the Orions at Rigel on stardate 0/8202, and returned with cargo and the news that the exclusive ties between Dlumppheg and the Botchok Planetary Congress (BPC) (whose trade was practically non-existent) didn’t apply to the Orion trading families, and that a much more profitable market was to be had. Small independent traders carried out trade with the Orions while Dlumppheg was sued unsuccessfully more than 750 times in Andorian, Centauran and Human courts. Meanwhile, the Marco Polo and subsequent Human traders began an Orion love and fascination with the cultural artefacts of 20th century Earth. ( ) In 2132, the Andoria-Rigel trade corridor was established. ( ) By the early 2150s, trade was occurring between the Orions and the Earth Cargo Service. The failed to make a rendezvous with an Orion freighter in late December 2152. ( }}) The Earth starship ''Enterprise'' made first contact with the Orions when a number of Orion interceptors kidnapped nine of the Enterprise s crew in the Borderland, in 2154. The Enterprise followed them to the Verex III processing station and rescued them. ( ) :This could be an official first contact, rather than the unofficial piratical actions and trading seen earlier. Orions were also in contact with the Gorn Hegemony at this time. ( ) In 2155, at the founding of the Coalition of Planets, the Tellarites pushed for an embargo against the Orions, after several of their freighters had been attacked. Coridan, which had already been trading with the Orions "for centuries", called this "Tellarite slander" and an attempt to deprive them of commerce, and refused to believe it. ( ) This controversial issue was a major impasse in the negotiations until the two governments finally reached an accord on trade sanctions against the Orion Syndicate. ( ) The Earth-Romulan War broke out in 2155 (rsd 1/0610) and ended in 2160 (rsd 1/0909). Though Orions remained out of the conflict, a large quantity of war materiel was freighted through their worlds. Additionally, many Starfleet crews took shore leave there and learned of Orion pleasures. ( ) The Federation The Federation was founded with the signing of the Articles of the Federation at the First Babel Conference, in 2161 (stardate 0/8706.06). An Orion delegation stood with the Rigellian delegation, as interested parties but non-signatories, where they made good impressions as members of older, wiser races. The BPC then offered to join the Federation for a 'fair and equitable' compensation fee of 10 trillion credits, infuriating the five signatories who thought it a bribe. (The Rigellians only requested 8 billion.) ( ) Members offered to help the Orions reform themselves and join their new currency-free economy, but this offer was rejected, ( ) and Rigel and the Orion Colonies remained entirely outside the Federation. ( ) On stardate 0/9003, the Starfleet ship [[USS Atmos|USS Atmos]] intercepted the Larc, an Orion personnel transport, and for the first time charged the Ruddy Orion captain with slavery. A ''guldin'' of Grey Orions on board managed to transmit a secret message to the Atmos in an apparent bid for freedom, but the Orion captain vaporised the lot of them to prevent their discovery, much to the BPC’s relief. ( ) Some of Starfleet's earliest missions broke the back of the Orion slaver and pirate fleets, beginning with the Battle of Delta Doradus in 2166, and preserving Federation commerce. Seven Orion pirate vessels were destroyed. ( , ) As the first Starfleet ships defended the trade routes to Rigel from pirates, Orion trade improved with all Federation members. The Federation sent its first diplomatic delegation to Botchok on stardate 0/9101.13 to work out treaties, agreements and protocols for the smooth operation of the Rigel-Federation routes, and they were publicly quite popular. But confused and hindered by the complexities of Orion government, the non-specific roles of its members, its intrigues, corruption, squabbles and general anarchy, the Federation embassy insisted on some sort of order, and suggested certain officers with specific titles doing defined work. For a year, the BPC merrily assigned Ministers for ever smaller and more ridiculous tasks. The BPC had been offended when it intercepted one of the delegation’s despatches and read that it was considered "quaint, disorganized, and of unknown political importance in spite of their claims." The Federation soon came to realize just how little authority the BPC actually possessed, but continued to press for the necessary treaties. In an effort to increase legitimacy, they referred all Orions to the BPC for adjudication, which duly signed and rubber-stamped all actions and enforced nothing. The Orions soon came to realize that the Federation was expanding, and the outside universe was closing in, faster than they had anticipated. Federation colonists and developers were flooding into their space and seizing their worlds, and Orion worlds that chose to join the Federation found they had to adhere to their laws and regulations. Some tried to move away, but the number of available places was diminishing, while anti-Orion sentiments made it difficult for existing Orion Colonies to do business. Orions who protested to the BPC were shown the agreements made with the Federation, and complaints, bribes and threats against the BPC rose sharply. The Orions later informed the Klingons of the Federation’s existence (stardate 1/1004), though all records of this deal were lost under mysterious circumstances. ( ) 23rd century The Orions saw in the Federation a lucrative interplanetary market, and engaged in everything from slave-trading to outright seduction of Starfleet captains, though they failed against Federation ideals and Starfleet strength. ( ) In 2224, the Orions made first contact with Acamar III and began strip-mining operations there. ( ) An Orion exploration fleet was sent to the Romulan Star Empire on stardate 1/1208 to open trade and diplomatic relations. They never returned. ( ) Relations between the Federation and the Orions continued to decline. On stardate 1/1209.12, the Andorian-crewed Starfleet cruiser Thanatok destroyed a pirate enclave at Brurem. The overzealous captain was punished after the BPC protested the murder of civilians, but similar incidents were kept quiet. Pirate raids against Andorian targets increased. Colonization Orion settlers arrived at Talna III on stardate 1/1811.07 to re-establish an abandoned Colony there, but found Human, Vulcan and Andorian settlers there already, who turned them away. The Botchok Planetary Congress (BPC) issued protests to the Federation Council, only to be told that, although they upheld the rights of prior inhabitants, unoccupied ruins were not enough to claim those rights, and that prior settlers (the Federation colonists) had the right to refuse later immigrants (the returning Orions). The Orions were incensed, and Talna became a symbol of Federation desires to annihilate them. The situation worsened on stardate 1/2701.14 when Human and Andorian settlers on Beta VI ordered the removal of a pre-existing Orion Colony, accusing them of "chronic criminal activity and corruption". The BPC insisted on the appointment of a Federation High Commission, which supported the Federation colonists and advocated the Orion relocation. The Orions left without paying their bills, amounting to 21.32 million credits lost to Beta VI, plus the costs of moving the Orions in the first place. Stardate 1/3611.20 saw the leaking (through Botchok) of the infamous Ethan Report, allegedly the product of a secret Federation High Commission. It cited the continuing problems of enforcing Federation law among the Orions and dealing with the BPC, and advised a policy of containment to reduce Orion influence. The language was harsh, labeling the Orions "barbarous atavisms", claiming that they were bent on "mastery of the Federation monetary system" via "bribery, blackmail, coercion by force up to and including piratical attacks in Federation space." Though it scandalized the Federation, the Orions felt it was a declaration of war. Shortly after the Ethan Report, on stardate 1/38 the Orions signed a secret, non-aggression treaty with the Klingon Empire, to provide relief to Orion Colonies deep in Klingon territory. Trade between the two increased significantly, while intelligence activity on Botchok intensified. A major wave of Orion settlements began on stardate 1/40, throughout the Triangle (the area of space lying between the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Empire). Elsewhere, on stardate 1/4112, several Orion families developed freeports and tradeworlds with no regulations or tariffs to restrict trade. These were a big success, and Orion traders recouped their development costs by leasing commercial space and setting up trade brokerage houses, though later efforts could not repeat initial achievements. A year later, on stardate 1/4212.31, the Federation Uniform Mercantile Code (FUMC) became law. Botchok and the Orion Colonies were forced to comply or face prosecution, though the Rigellians successfully claimed exemption due to cultural tradition. The FUMC would be tested on stardate 1/4705.18, when a Federation Tribunal found the Orion Duraba Corporation guilty of 1850 separate violations in a criminal conspiracy across 20 planets. Anti-Federation riots on the Colonies took over 6000 lives and cost 37 million credits in damages. Some time later, Freeloader, the first and most infamous of Orion freeports was officially opened in the Triangle on stardate 1/5103.27. This began large-scale trade operations in the region, which soon became the most popular open trade area in the known galaxy. Orion Neutrality Predicting that war between the Klingons and the Federation was inevitable, the BPC drafted the Orion Neutrality Act, and subsequently issued it on stardate 1/5105.02, after Starfleet and Klingon vessels clashed for the first time. To preserve what little power they had, Rigel and the Orion Colonies were declared unaligned and free to trade with either power. They also requested that all military vessels in Orion space (left undefined) inform the BPC of their location and itinerary. The Federation Council was outraged, fearing that ship information would find its way to the Klingon Empire, which was only displeased, satisfied with the possibility of gaining that data, while they could lie about their own. Neither side dared break off trade or invade Rigel over this, and the BPC narrowly escaped domination by either side. Following the Act, Rigel became an adventurous place where espionage was rife, competition between the powers was fierce, and Klingons and Federation citizens could meet socially, but distrusted each other as much as they distrusted the Orions. Meanwhile, the FUMC halted Orion growth by clamping down on illegal traffic between neutral Orion worlds in Federation space, and enmity grew. The BPC was flooded with complaints from nearly every Colony, and the Orions fought to keep open the routes of Orion trade and culture. ( ) On stardate 1/54, in the space of a year over 200 Orion pirate vessels were destroyed or captured in battle. The Parallelogram Affair scandalised the Colonies on stardate 1/6908, when a guldin of Grey Orions was discovered transmitting sensitive Orion and Klingon information to the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire. The Greys refused to talk and were slain, while a young Federation couple, suspected of involvement in the spy ring, were apprehended while leaving the Rigel system, and were never seen again. ( ) Later, on stardate 1/7603, Orions discovered rich dilithium deposits on Rigel XII, which they promptly mined and sold to both major powers. ( ) On stardate 1/8104, the Colony of the Bartunu system petitioned to join the Federation. The BPC, aided by the Hjulah, Faktim, U'taliis and Prochem families, together with a consortium of businesses lead by The Star Group corporation, attempted to sabotage the secession, though without success. The Four Years War A Klingon fleet consisting of over 100 warships invaded the Rigel system on stardate 1/9301.04. The Orion Space Navy did not resist, but scattered units attacked and were destroyed, while Federation ships were seized. According to the Klingon Admiral Kentin epetai-Kazu, their aim was not to occupy the Orion Colonies, but to invade the Federation. However, it was over a year before they did so, and the Orions entertained the Klingons lavishly until then. They were happily awaiting the war that would ruin both sides and increase trade with both. The Four Years War between the Federation and the Klingons finally broke out on stardate 1/9409.29. The Orions were surprised when the Federation declared that, according to treaty and the FUMC, they could not trade with the Klingons during the war. Forced to choose between the two, the BPC complied, though several Orion businesses were bankrupted; the Federation was blamed, rather than the BPC. As a result, several Colonies in the Triangle declared independence from the BPC in December and formed the Orion Frontier Mercantile Association (OFMA), and continued trade with both sides. Many others followed, and the Federation-BPC agreements became worthless. Orion neutrality was tested in The Laxala Incident on stardate 1/9504, when a Klingon task force intercepted an Orion merchant vessel transporting dilithium to the Federation world of Alphosa and the Orion captain destroyed his own ship (the Klingons would be accused of destroying the ship themselves). The BPC issued the Sacred Cargoes Act, declaring that Orion merchants are untouchable by both sides, and together with the OFMA, threatened to destroy all dilithium on Rigel XII if either side interfered in their trade. Both sides complied, while the Orions profited, saving their worlds and economies from collapse. The Federation also benefits from the secure supply of dilithium and other scarce war resources. As the Klingons retreated before the advancing Starfleet forces on stardate 1/98, they began the Year of Horror, against Orion worlds, damaging industry, ruining ecology, executing their leaders and people, and leaving populations starved and demoralised. However, they spared the Orion worlds of Rigel from destruction, probably to make them appear to be Klingon allies. In response, The Night of Empty Hands on stardate 1/9804.10 would see widespread rioting against the Klingons on the Rigel worlds, though only two unlucky Klingons were killed, as the rest had already secretly returned to their transport ships the week before. Accused collaborators, real or not, were dragged from their beds by lynch mobs. The next morning, over 12,000 Orions had been killed by mob violence. Days later, on stardate 1/9804.16, Admiral Namtac the Tardy of the Orion Space Navy reported the departure of the Klingons from Rigel, and that Starfleet forces bypassed the system in pursuit. A squadron was ordered to welcome the Starfleet ships with the news that Rigel was free, but they failed to return or communicate, and tensions rose. On stardate 1/9805, Arthas the Bold of the House of Liktor ran through the Federation lines in a modified courier to report that his world, the Orion Colony on Hartha, had been harshly restricted in trade by powerful Federation forces. Arthas and his crew were imprisoned by an alarmed and uncertain BPC to ensure their silence. By stardate 1/9806, rumours spread of battles beyond the Klingon front-lines, the destruction of Klingon fleets, the looting of peaceful Orion worlds, secret Klingon super-weapons, and many other wild stories. Refugees flee and defense committees are established everywhere. Grateful to escape Klingon atrocities, the BPC triumphantly welcomed the 396 Starfleet ships that came to secure the Rigel system, who duly sent their details as per the Neutrality Act. Nevertheless, Admiral Brazeau arrived with the Eighth Fleet, sealed off the system and landed troops to seize the spaceport and communication centres. Near the end of the war, on stardate 1/9709.01 the Rigel Demilitarized Zone Commission, meeting at Starbase 27, had been formed to decide the fate of the Orions after the war (which came with the Axanar Peace Treaty on stardate 1/9806.13, which called for the removal of all Klingons "to the opposite side of Orion space"). The Commission visited Botchok on stardate 1/9806.29, where Commissioner Dzwonkowski met with the BPC in a closed session to demand that they accept the Federation plan: to officially set the Orion border, inside which the BPC could enforce the Neutrality Act, outside which Orion activities would be under Federation law. A riot broke out in the Congress, and two members were killed. Under protest and with a narrow majority, the BPC capitulated and by unilateral treaty Orion space legally became the Orion Neutrality Area, a 20-parsec sphere centred on Rigel. All worlds falling outside it, even those primarily occupied by Orions, were now inside Federation space. Not long after, on stardate 1/9808.15, Dzwonkowski and BPC President Vloun signed the Orion Emigration Act, which required the registration of all Orions in Federation space. ( ) Federation Relations After the agreement, the Federation found many Orion Colonies now within its borders. Some chose to join the UFP, either as associate or full-status members, desiring Starfleet protection and Federation benevolence, while others did not. However, they all used and traded in Orion slaves, against Federation law. Popular opinion went against the Orions, and trade with them was boycotted. Sanctions were imposed on stardate 2/0001.11, and the boycott was endorsed by the Federation Council on stardate 2/0103.13. The First Amendment to the Articles of Federation was passed on stardate 2/0105.01, finally banning the Orion slave trade in the Federation. Orion Colonies in the Federation suffered financially, but their protests and Federation boycotting prompted the BPC to declare slavery illegal in the Orion Neutrality Area as well, in order to maintain Federation trade. However, without enforcement of the law, the slave trade would continue in Orion space, and secretly within the Federation. ( ) In 2245, an Orion woman competed at an interplanetary gymnastics competition on Earth. ( ) In 2249, the Federation annexed the human-inhabited Rigel IV colony in an effort to counteract Orion slave-trading. ( ) In 2254 Orions were amongst a brigand, including Arcturans, Khodini and renegade Humans, in the Marrat Nebula region to attack Starbase 13 in response to Starfleet's Project Pharos - a scheme to bring order to the region and control illegal activity by building a huge galactic lighthouse. ( ) The United Federation of Planets abolished the trafficking of Orion slave girls inside Federation space in 2259. Federation economic sanctions force the Orion government to officially abolish slavery - essentially a meaningless gesture. ( ) On stardate 2/0602, the BPC began sending agents deep into Federation space, even as far as Earth, to anticipate the Federation’s future plans for them. Meanwhile, the pressure of Federation settlers on the new Orion borders continued to be a problem. ( ) The Organian Peace Treaty was forced upon the Federation and the Klingons in 2267 (reference stardate 2/0801.24). Though the Orion Neutrality Area would form a bubble in the Neutral Zone between the two powers, the Orions were ignored and left out of the treaty. Many, even in the Federation Council, took this to mean that the Organians considered the Orions harmless, though others pointed out that their motivations were unknown, and that they themselves might not know how to handle them. The Babel Incident Despite their centuries of trade, Orion smugglers were raiding dilithium from the Coridan system in the 2260s, and had illegal mining operations on Coridan III. These actions would be endangered by the Babel Conference of 2268 (stardate 3850.3, or reference stardate 2/0902), which would lead to Coridan's admission to the Federation and becoming subject to their law. To thwart this, certain Orions attempted to sabotage the conference. An Orion spy, Thelev, was cosmetically altered to appear Andorian, and infiltrated the staff of Ambassador Shras Endilev in 2267. ( , , ) En route to the Conference, Thelev murdered the Tellarite ambassador Gav and attempted to destroy the ''Enterprise'', while an Orion scout ship attacked. Their aim was spread suspicion and possibly interplanetary war between the Federation worlds, while continuing to steal from Coridan and supply dilithium to all sides. The plan was unsuccessful, and Coridan was admitted into the Federation. ( , ) With the lost of the dilithium smuggling operations, this was a devastating blow to the Orion economy. ( ) Though the BPC denied any involvement, three Orion businesses implicated in the sabotage went bankrupt, triggering the Great Crash of 09, and Orion trade was weakened in the Triangle and Neutral Zone. ( ) Decline After this, the Orions stopped being a significant problem for the Federation; though pirates and Orion saboteurs were still active, Rigel and the Colonies themselves were quiet and deemed nearly harmless. Anti-Orion attitudes in the Federation waned, and the Council relaxed some of the restrictions on Orion immigration. The main concern was of Orion trade with the Klingons and the possibility of Klingon infiltration through the Orion Neutrality Area. The Lafaq family in the Triangle finally managed to send a successful trade mission to the Romulans at H’lass on stardate 2/1107, but a permanent agreement could not be reached: the Romulans wanted guaranteed delivery, while the Lafaqs wanted a guaranteed price. But the potential Romulan market continued to attract Orions to the Triangle. Stardate 2/1502 saw a Starfleet Intelligence report on possible Orion trade agreements with the Romulans in the Triangle, and a thaw in Orion-Romulan relations was rumored. ( ) BPC President Refner Gyron the Sly was inaugurated on stardate 2/1606 and instituted a new policy of aggressive quid pro quo neutrality between the three superpowers. While collecting all the intelligence it could, the BPC would trade favourable knowledge and trading-partner status for trade concessions. Over the next five years (to at least stardate 2/2106), this would gain more trade in Klingon space (provided that governors and staff are not corrupted), limited delivery contracts and battle protocols from the Romulans (in spite of confrontations with pirates), and a range of small benefits in the Federation. The Federation continued to expand into Orion space, occupying former Orion worlds, but re-established Orion Colonies and increased trade led to increased profits without heightened tensions. The first Human colony in Orion space was settled on stardate 2/1606, illegally and unannounced. This would be quietly closed down and ushered out in two months. ( ) By as late as the 23rd century, the Orions were allegedly maintaining a policy of neutrality in interstellar affairs. Often an Orion Pirate ship would be found raiding Federation colonies, but when faced with capture the ships would activate a self-destruct device and the Orion government would disavow them as rogues. ( ) The was once successful in capturing an Orion ship, however it is unclear as to the extent this helped shed light on Orion duplicity ( ) In 2270 (stardate 3850.3), an Orion ship attacked the [[USS Huron|USS Huron]] and stole its cargo of dilithium and strobolin. The ''Enterprise'' tracked it to an asteroid belt, but a confrontation ensued. In the end, the Orions attemped to destroy themselves and the Enterprise to preserve the appearance of Orion neutrality. This failed, and the ship and crew were captured, placing doubt on the claims of neutrality. ( ) In the late 23rd century, according to unsubstantiated claims, some wealthy Orions on the Coreward side of the Colonies had copied Romulan starships out of intercepted Federation intelligence reports. They were allegedly using these ships to explore space between the Romulan Neutral Zone and Gorn space, but this could not be verified as there were few Starfleet vessels operating in the deep space past Starbase 18. ( ) As the Federation increased its presence in the Orion sector and some of the worlds of Rigel became member worlds in the late 23rd century, Orion traders and pirates lost their freedom of action, and increasingly transferred their operations into the Alpha Quadrant. The Khitomer Accords of 2293 enabled Starfleet to devote itself to operations against Orion piracy, and again crushed their pirate fleets, and kept Orion Syndicate operatives on the run. ( ) Following the foundation of the Grand Alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Alliance states and economic interests continued trying to restrict and eliminate Orion piracy. On stardate 2/9910, Starfleet Captain Koren Anastas occupied one of the last of the major Orion pirate outposts on Matacai. ( ) 24th century These anti-piracy efforts broke the Orion Commercial States' domination over portions of galactic commerce, and reduced their power significantly. Unable to depend anymore on revenue from the pirate consortiums, they were forced to adapt to a new economic age, where free trade was more cost-effective than disruptive competition. The Orions grew dormant ( ) and less prominent, and the Syndicate re-evaluated the burgeoning Federation for new ways to exploit it, though with limited success. They, and the surviving pirate elements, reformed the Orion Syndicate into organized crime. ( ) The emergence of the Ferengi in the 2360s made this reduction and re-development fortuitous. The Ferengi Empire raided several established trading centers on the border of the Orion Colonies, and in the face of such pillaging, an accommodation with the Grand Alliance appeared to be a necessity. In exchange for giving up piracy, the Orions could seek the protection of Alliance warships. ( ) :The outcome of this question is unknown. As the Ferengi ceased to be threat, and Orion piracy continued (albeit reduced) and criminal activity grew, this likely didn’t happen. There was an Orion present for the trade conference on Deep Space 9 in 2370. ( ) During the late 24th century, Orions operated the prestigious Institute of Cosmology on Orion I. It required one year of field experience for attendance. ( ) In the late 24th century, Orion operations had suffered heavily due to Federation expansion, and they became directly antagonistic to it. They engaged in smuggling beneath the noses of Starfleet officials and engineered important assassinations in an attempt to influence Federation policy. ( ) As the Borg incursions and the Dominion War forced Starfleet to strip assets from the Rigel system, the Orion Syndicate took advantage of the resulting opportunities. They remained low-key during Dominion War itself however, planning to take advantage of whoever won. ( ) During the Dominion War, in the aftermath of the Battle of Rigel early in 2375, the Orion Syndicate sent ships into the debris field to scavenge whatever they could before Starfleet could recover its own technology. ( ) ''Star Trek Online'' Timeline After several years of cracking down on criminal activity in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, Starfleet Intelligence was successful in curbing the threat of the Orion Syndicate, though in 2387, they recommended that the Federation continue to keep a close watch on its activities. On stardate 64163.8, Syndicate boss Raimus was assassinated on Farius Prime by Hassan the Undying, paving the way from Hassan's employer, Melani D'ian to seize control of his operations. By Starfleet Intelligence estimates, Melani now controlled at least 30% of Syndicate operations. Analysts noted that other Syndicate bosses might seek to bring her down before she increased her powerbase further. She was also the first Orion in over 20 years to dominate the Syndicate, and this signified an Orion return to prominence. By the following year, 2388, the Orion homeworld in the Rigel system was now over-polluted and nearly completely depleted of natural resources. Meanwhile, Starfleet's war on crime was becoming a serious impediment to Syndicate business. Seeking assistance with both issues, Melani D'ian lead a delegation of Orions to negotiate with both the Klingon Empire and the Breen Confederacy. In exchange, they promised Orion support and its reserves of ancient knowledge, but don't commit until a fully detailed offer is made. The current Klingon Chancellor Martok was interested in the secret knowledge, but distrusted Melani and the Syndicate. In 2392, Kevin Steiner of Terra Nova abandoned his campaign for Federation President after his links to the Orion Syndicate were exposed by the Federation News Service. According to Starfleet reports, Orion Syndicate traffic had increased markedly under Melani’s control, and Starfleet had a harder time combating their activities. She had carried out a ruthless purge of so-called 'untrustworthy' members and competing leaders, and created a unified and loyal force out of the remaining Orions. In 2394, Klingon Chancellor J'mpok sought to his strengthen his position by resuming negotiations with the Orion Syndicate. He met with Melani (though Hassan was presented as being in charge, and she a slave) on Ter'jas Mor, and after four days of negotiations, the two signed a non-aggression and mutual defense pact on stardate 71282.12. By the terms of it, the Orions would receive ships, weapons and a planet in Klingon space that they could rule as a vassal state. The Klingon Empire gained the Syndicate’s allegiance, access to their intelligence network, and technology. The Federation Council condemned this as an alliance with criminals, and Starfleet Command vowed to continue combating Syndicate activities in Federation space. As a gift, 150 Orion women were sent as servants to the Great Houses on Qo'noS, and Melani moved into an estate on Ter'jas Mor. By this point, she was known as the Emerald Empress. In the same year, Orions on the homeworld made plans to colonize their new world. :The Full Log Entry says 1500 Orion women, while the Supplemental Log says only 150. The number of known Great Houses would indicate that 150 is more likely. In 2397, Hassan the Undying moved his own base of operations to the former Orion homeworld, in order to run Syndicate operations outside Klingon space, presumably on Melani's orders. From 2399, Orion ships joined their Klingon allies in a war against the Gorn Hegemony (ending in 2403) and the Nausicaans (ending in 2405). ( ) Throughout the 2400s, the Orions continued to be a thorn in the Federation's side, especially due to the Federation-Klingon war of that era. Many Starfleet ships engaged Orions conducting illegal operations within Federation space during this period. ( ) Undated At some point before the late 24th century, the Klingons, and then the Romulans, attempted to use the Orions against the Federation. ( ) category:history History